Sickle.



S. NI. KITCHEN.

Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

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- SAMUEL ivi. KITCHEN, or sKANEArnLEs, vNaw YORK.

SICKLE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented nee. v, rele.

Application filed August 5, 1915. Serial No. 43,871.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL M. KITCHEN, a citizen of the Kingdomy of Great Britain, residing at Skaneateles, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sickles, of which the following is a specilication.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in sickles, and has for its object to provide a novel, simple and inexpensive hand-reaperof the class, wherein the blade employed for cutting grain, grass, and the like, is detachably applied to the snathe or shank and may be readily and quickly detached for sharpening, packing or storing.

A further object is to provide a sickle in which the detachable blade may be made of a higher grade of edge-tool steel, than is commonly employed for devices of the class, where the blade and tang comprise a single part.

rlhe various features and parts of the invention will be understood from the detailed description which follows, and by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- Fioure 1 is a side elevation of the complete device; the full lines showing the blade in the service position, and the dotted lines showing the blade in position for detaching the same from the shank or snathe. Fig. 2 is a broken elevational view of the snathe. Fig. 3 is a. substantially vertical longitudinal section, taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2. Fig. il is a cross-section, taken on line M of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view of the blade.

In the drawing, 2 represents the snathe or shank, one end of which is provided with a tang 8, which is inserted in a wooden, or other handle 4l. The sn'athe 2 has a substa-ntially flat portion 5, which is perforated at 6, to receive a stud 7, which projects above the said flat portion. The opposite free end of the snathe comprises a lip or portion 8, which is folded upon the flat side 5, so as to provide a relatively narrow kerf or slot 9, and between the said folded portion 8 and the stud 7 the flat surface 5 is counter-sunk to provide a shallow socket or depression 10.

11 represents the detachable cutting blade, which preferably comprises a at strip of steel, having the usual beveled cutting-edge 12. The heel of the blade has a perforation 13, which receives the stud 7, upon which the blade may be partially rotated, for applying, and removing the same from the snathe. rl`he heel of the blade ll is operated upon by a suitable tool for providing on its underside a ball-like boss l-t, which enters the socket 10 of the snathe, when the blade is swung on the pivot 7 into the work ing position, vshown by full lines in Figs. 1 and 3. At the time the blade 1l is swung into the working position, the curved heelportion 1l of the blade enters the kerf 9,

and when the ball or boss 14e enters into the socket 10, the blade is locked and held in the said working position. The heel portion of the blade below the kerf 9 is resilient enough to yield away from the fiat side 5, so as to permit the ball 14 to be sprung into the socket 10. By this construction and arrangement of the blade and snathe, the sickle may be used for cutting grass, grain and the like, without danger of the blade becoming loosened or detached, for the reason that,the bottom of the slot 9 being formed slightly V-shaped, any pressure the cutting edge 12 of the blade, tends to force the heel 1l deeper and more tightly into the kerf or groove 9. 'Ihe socket l0 being somewhat shallow, the operator may readily release and remove the blade, by applying pressure against the back of the blade, with one hand, while he holds the handle rigidly with his other hand, for forcing the blade from the full-line to the dotted-line position shown in Fig. l. This relea ses the ball from the socket, and the blade may then be lifted free from the stud 7.

By the provision of the stud 7, the ball and socket 10-14l, and the slot or kerf 9, I am able to do away with all bolts and nuts or similar fastening parts, and the blade may be applied or removed'in a vseconds time. The ball and socket coperate with the tapering kerf or groove 9 for holding the blade rigidly in the working position and effectually prevents any loosening or rattling of the parts. By providing the separable blade and snathe, the former may be made of a grade of steel which will take a high temper and retain a keen cutting edge, while the snathe may be made out of any suitable and less expensive malleable metal, which may bc readily bent or fashioned to receive the blade and the handle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Inetters Patent, is-

1. A sickle, including a blade, the heel of said blade being curved and perforated, and

applied to andhaving a socket to receive said boss fo'r holdingtheblade in said kerf, anda stud carried by Said vsna'the and enggiiig the `perforation in said blade. 2. A sickle, comprising a snathe, one end of said snathebeingA folded upon itself to provide a groove Vand having a atten'ed `portion adj acent'said groove, and asocke't in the flattened portion adjacent said folded portion, a Stud carried by Said snathe and space'dfrom said socket, a detachable blade having a curved heel adapted to engage said groove, said blade having a perforation to receive Said stud upon which said blade may be partially rotated, and having a boss adapted to engage said socket for locking and holding the blade in the Working position.

Intestilno'ny whereof I aiix my signature.

SAMUEL M. KITCHEN.

Copies ofithis patent may be vobtained for ve cents each, by'addressng the' Commissioner of Patents,

' Washing-'tombs C. 

